Restaurants go beyond food to attract customers

Both parents work. Their two kids have after-school activities. And Mom is earning a doctorate in education.

So it's no surprise this busy family is known to eat out two to three times a week.

"Dining also happens to be our second most popular page on our website," Wes Rhea of the Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau said. "We got through 2012 without too many closures, and we are seeing some expansions and new offerings popping up already this year."

Rhea said local restaurants that weathered tough times in recent years did so by offering more than food to bring in customers.

"You are seeing more wine tastings, beer events, comedy, jazz and other entertainment just to get people in the door," he said.

Rhea said owners would do well to devote more time to properly marketing themselves and advises them to embrace social media opportunities.

That's certainly the case at Woodbridge Crossing, where owner Steve Ding keeps customers updated on specials, menus and live entertainment via the restaurant's website at woodbridgecrossing.net.

Ding, who served as a chief of staff to former Rep. Richard Pombo, a Tracy Republican, knows the importance of running a good campaign.

And he uses Facebook and Twitter to tout upcoming bands and specials.

"Primarily, it's more word of mouth," he said. "We do a lot of wedding rehearsal dinners and banquets. When you get those groups coming in and you treat them well, they come back."

Rhea said local restaurants would do well to put more effort into showcasing the use of locally grown produce and other locally sourced foods.

"I think there is such an opportunity in the aspect of local freshness that is untapped," Rhea said, adding that the visitors bureau promotes the Great Stockton Asparagus Dine Out and Stockton Restaurant Week. "This is such a huge trend."

In Lodi, the Towne House Restaurant at Wine & Roses is a leader in serving up locally sourced produce.

Chef Didier Gerbi even leads a tour of the local farmers market in season.

"We work at finding passionate farmers to get the best local produce from this rich agricultural region we live in," owner Kathryn Munson said. "For example, there is a farmer a couple of miles from us on Davis Road, A & D Farms, and they deliver us the most beautiful just-picked produce in season. There is nothing like it."

Other efforts to help the restaurant stand out include giving it the name Towne House to market it separately from the hotel and spa property.

It's efforts like these by Ding and Munson that promise to make 2013 successful.

The National Restaurant Association is projecting restaurant and food service sales will reach a record high of $660.5 billion this year - a 3.8 percent increase over 2012.

"We are hearing from restaurants that they are optimistic about 2013," Rhea said.

The Spessards, however, are hoping to spend more time making their own meals.

"(We're) trying to go out less often this year and have dinner at each other's houses sharing in the preparation of the meal," she said of perusing Pinterest for recipes, and cooking with friends. "This is more cost effective and gives you the opportunity to test out new culinary arts skills."